CALM AND QUIET

Thalia, Fen’er and Parsia were casually chatting as Lynne’s silhouette appeared in the distance. He climbed over the heaps of corpses and rubble slowly, sighing lowly. However, instead of the trio, his eyes fell on those behind; all stood like statues, their jaws agape, eyes as round and wide as eggs, hands shaking.

“Oh, great,” Lynne muttered, frowning as he slid down a pile of rubble. “I wonder how many will ask us to teach them.”

“Wanna bet?” the monkey asked.

“I say fifteen,” the bird gawked. “I bet one of my feathers!”

“You don’t have feathers.” Lynne said bluntly.

“I could have feathers!”

“I say eight,” the monkey said, strange glint flashing through his eyes. “What about you guys?” he added.

“Hmm… eleven.” the Spirit added.

“Sixteen.” the False God said.

“All of them except that Ryn fella.” Liz-boy finished.

“Rather than that, though,” Lynne said. “How about we bet to how many I’ll actually teach?”

“You can’t teach yourself, how the hell do you plan to teach others?” the False God sneered.

“Aye, I’m too busy not being hunted by the folk from Divine Realm.” Lynne sneered back.

“…”

“Lynne!!!” Leana shouted, bolting over towards him and quickly picking up his hand, holding it with both of hers. “Teach me how to do that!”

Lynne merely stared at her for a moment before sighing and forcing his hand out. He glanced behind her and saw the eager eyes, thirst for knowledge – no, thirst for power. That’s what I fucking hate about Magic…

“We’ve got nothing to teach,” he said, waving them off as he joined Thalia and others. “We’re just as bad as you guys.” Bullshit!!

“Aww, come on!” Leana persisted, smiling as she gripped his arm and put it against her breasts. “You can show us something, can’t you?”

“Do you see those?” Lynne suddenly asked, pointing at Thalia. Or, to be more precise, her chest area.

“Hm?”

“They’re mine,” Lynne said, glancing at Leana and smiling. “And now look at yours.”

“…”

“Hai, that’s unfair Lynne,” Thalia joined, smiling. “Woman’s worth is not in her breast.”

“Well, tell that to her.” Lynne said.

“Good point.” Thalia said, nodding. “Sorry Leana, I’ve tried.” she smiled apologetically at her and followed it up by a mocking sneer.

“Why don’t you want to teach us anything?” Ryn asked, pulling Leana away while smiling awkwardly.

“Because Lynne doesn’t want to.” Fen’er said bluntly.

“Aye, it’s because Lynne doesn’t want to.” Parsia added.

“Indeed, all blame goes to Lynne. We’d love to teach you guys, but Lynne was all like ‘Hah! No way! I forbid! And what I forbid shall not be done!’. Similarly, he forbade me to ever wear my underwear. Quite a terrible guy.” Thalia added.

“Aye, I forbade,” Lynne said, his expression deadpan. “But that’s because of the way the four of us learn,” Oh no. Thought Parsia. Shit. Thought Fen’er. Thalia already began laughing. “You see, we set up a campfire, right?”

“Right.”

“Light the fire, sing some songs, roast a boar and all that good stuff,” his face remained expressionless as he continued. “Then we all strip naked, indulge in a sweaty, bloody orgy all night long, and then practice shooting beams from the places no beams were meant to be shot.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“You forgot the oil.” Thalia shouted.

“Ah, yes. We douse ourselves with oil and set ourselves on fire, and then run around populated cities screaming ‘The Devil cometh!’. Then we fart real hard, and boom, devil really cometh.”

“…”

“…”

Ryn and Leana slowly left, maintaining awkward smiles, as they rejoined with the others while Lynne, Thalia, Parsia, Fen’er, monkey and bird walked over towards the countless corpses of beasts. The stench in air was foul, causing them to frown lightly.

“What did you learn?” Fen’er asked. “Besides the ability to make me vomit by merely using words.”

“I was born with that ability, I’ll have you know,” Lynne said. “Besides that, looks like humans are behind the uprising of Beastkin.”

“Oh?” Thalia exclaimed softly. “Do you know who?”

“A bunch of fanatics worshiping some Magus as a God,” Lynne said. “My best guess is that he’s a Grand Realm Magus adept at controlling beasts.”

“What should we do?” Parsia asked. “Most of these ‘beasts’ here are frenzied, ordinary animals. Making them go insane is beyond cruel. This goes against everything I was taught.”

“What can we do?” Lynne smiled bitterly. “I’ve already promised I’ll be coming for them. When the hell did I become so hot blooded…”

“Aye, I kind of miss the cowardly Lynne,” Thalia said. “Ah, you were so cute back then.”

“I’m always cute! And handsome! And heroic! You better never forget that!” Lynne exclaimed proudly.

“Aye, aye, you’re the best…” Thalia said. “Alright, the three of us will clean this up,” she said. “You go and clean up the mess over there.” she told Lynne as she pointed at the group behind.

“… eh, at least I won’t be smelling this stinking shit,” he turned around rather quickly and began walking. “Good luck guys. Spray some sweet perfume of love when you’re done.”

“… that’s totally a sexual innuendo.” Parsia said. “Even if he didn’t mean it, he meant it.”

“Disgusting.” Fen’er added.

“Why?” Thalia shouted after him. “You finally want to see what it looks like after all these years?”

“Not yours,” Lynne replied back. “That’s reserved for me and myself alone.”

As Thalia, Fen’er and Parsia began cleaning up the rubble and the beasts’ corpses, Lynne walked over to the group and explained that he – or anyone else – won’t be training them, after which he walked over to a nearby creak and sat down, soaking his feet into cold water. Exhaling in relief, he leaned backwards, eyes focused on the sun as a familiar face popped up into his vision.

“Hello there.” Leana said, smiling.

“…”

“Ah, you weren’t always this grumpy.” she said, pouting, as she sat next to him, soaking her legs as well. “You used to be so much more fun to hang around with.”

“You’re still just as annoying as you always were.” Lynne said.

“Ouch.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to tell you the real reason you won’t teach us.” she said, looking at him.

“It’s because I don’t trust you.” Lynne said bluntly.

“…”

“What? Did you expect some holier reason than that?”

“No…” she shook her head, sighing. “Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt to hear.”

“…”

“Say,” she said lowly, lowering her head and glancing sideways. “Do you love her?”

“… what’s it to you?” Lynne asked.

“She doesn’t seem right for you,” she said. “You two are basically the same. Where’s the fun in that?”

“The same?” Lynne chuckled. “Hardly.”

“Despite the passage of time, Lynne, I still know you.” she said, looking at the river, smiling gently. “For all my faults, and for all the mistakes I’ve made in my life, hurting you is one regret I always carried. Meeting you, back then, opened up a new doors for me. I’ve seen the other side, a side where cruelty isn’t the King and agony isn’t the Queen. Yet, instead of trying to join you there, I tried to pull you over to my world. Hah… in the end, I suppose you have joined me.”

“… you’re wrong.” Lynne said calmly.

“Hm?”

“It’s not the world that’s cruel, it’s the people,” he continued. “And you’re not the exception… and neither am I. So, I suggest you find a different way to try and make me sway.”

“… can’t you trust me even a little bit?” Leana asked, chuckling, as her soft, azure hair fell gently over her shoulders.

“I never was the best judge of the character,” Lynne said, sighing. “But I wasn’t – no, I’m not – wrong about you, Leana. You’re corrupted… foul down to your very core. However many masks you pile onto your face won’t hide whatever darkness lies beneath. Perhaps you were born that way, or perhaps life forced you to become who you are in order to survive… it doesn’t matter. Even if you could change, you wouldn’t. It’s who you are. But, more importantly, it’s who you enjoy being.”

“… ha ha,” she burst out in soft laughter as she heaved her head back, looking at the sky. “I assure you, all three of those behind you have done far worse than I have Lynne.”

“Maybe,” Lynne said. “But they’ve also done far more good than you did… or ever will. I’m no different,” he glanced sideways, his eyes expressionless. “I’ve killed countless by now, and I’ll kill countless more no doubt. It’s not the matter of good or evil with people, it’s the matter of knowing.”

“… why do you love her?” Leana asked after a short silence.

“Why?” Lynne chuckled. “For the same reason everyone else loves. She’s my calm and quiet. A hand to pull me back when I drift astray. A voice loud enough to silence all others.”

“… don’t they say that love is agony drenched in barrels of wine, one thing that can end even the strongest?”

“Is that so?” Lynne glanced sideways at her, smiling. “Whoever said that has never loved before, then.”

“…”

“You should get back to others,” he said. “We’ll camp here and rest, and move with the rise of dawn.”

“…”

Leana got up and left in silence, merely glancing once at him, her face expressionless. Lynne remained sitting by the creak, basking in the gentle sun, enjoying the peace and quiet which, he knew, wouldn’t last.

As he heard footsteps approaching, he perked up his ears lightly and smiled, heaving his head backwards. Thalia was standing behind him, looking down, her expression that of curiosity. She had untied her black hair, letting it run down freely, while her hands were intertwined behind her back.

“What did you and Miss Not as good as me talk about?” she asked.

“I forgot.” Lynne said. “What’s it to you anyway? Are you finally getting jealous? Hah! About time you realized how awesome of a boyfriend you’ve got!”

“Eh? I do?” she said, sitting next to him. “Could you let me know when I meet him?”

“… hai, looks like I’ll have to be my charming self for some time before you finally understand, you thick-headed beast.” Lynne said, shaking his head.

“I guess you really have to.” she said, smiling. “Do you think she’s involved in this?”

“No doubt,” Lynne said, sighing. “I would be genuinely shocked if she isn’t.”

“Wow, she must have fucked you up real bad if you trust her this… much.”

“No,” Lynne said, smiling bitterly. “She merely opened my eyes to the world.”

“Do you remember how you always keep saying that you hate when someone talks in riddles and vague sentences? Well, yeah, I’m pretty much the same.” Thalia said.

“She broke my heart once,” Lynne looked at her. “And caused what little faith and trust I had in people at the time to vanish.”

“Eeh… worse than I thought.” Thalia said, tilting her head. “Do you want to touch my boobs to feel better?”

“…” the moment she finished her sentence, Lynne didn’t hesitate. His frown turned upside down as his face turned to that of a bliss. He didn’t let go for at least a minute.

“Better?” she asked.

“Ah, so much better.” Lynne said. “… thank you.”

“Eh, they’re just boobs. You’ll touch them plenty more.”

“Thank you for being you.” wind blew gently, rousing Lynne’s hair as he smiled, his eyes half-closed. “I don’t know where I’d be right now if you weren’t there for me.”

“… as much as I’d like to take all the credit,” she said, smiling. “There were other people holding your back.”

“Yeah, they held it,” Lynne said. “But you pushed. And to think that, when we first met, I genuinely kind of hated you.”

“Eh? Why?” Thalia asked, somewhat surprised.

“You were one of the few to never let me win,” Lynne chuckled. “But I suppose that’s just who you are.”

“… ha ha,” Thalia burst out in laughter; Lynne’s eyes remained frozen on her, glistening lightly. “What a brat you are. Damn! How the hell did I ever fall in love with such a petty bastard?”

“Eh, I’ve got it worse,” Lynne cried. “I fell in love with a beastly brute of a woman! All you ever do is match my crudeness, word for word! That’s not a way to be cute, you know? You gotta act like a lady! Like a lady!”

“Oh? And what would this lady do, in your opinion?”

“What would she do? Stand shoulder to shoulder with me,” he said, grabbing her chin gently. “And defy the world.”

“Doesn’t sound very ladylike.” Thalia said, chuckling.

“That’s because I don’t need a lady,” Lynne said, inching closer. “I need you.”

“… that just bought--”

“Don’t.” Lynne interrupted, smiling. “Let us have at least one moment where one of us doesn’t say something completely stupid to ruin it.”

“…”

As the two kissed, a gentle breeze blew by, causing their hair to flutter as the sun rained upon the glistening creak. A moment of tranquility; moment of calm and quiet, for both, in a world rampaged by ongoing storms. One, they both knew, they were soon to meet.